15.5.14

Conversations Between Workers (5KCBWDay4)

So I have this ball winder.

I've had it since I learned I needed more yarn than one project at a time would suffice. That puts it at about 5 years old, which is getting up there for plastic ball winders. It came to me at Christmas and has always had a bit of a lofty opinion of itself. It was not content to wind yarn off of the backs of chairs. No, it needed a swift. But it also refused to properly clamp onto a table or said chair back and so needed to be held. It's very demanding, my ball winder, and we've developed a bit of a co-dependent relationship it and I.

Take this week for example. I'm doing some test knitting and so needed to wind up some yarn rather immediately, which the ball winder did not like. It likes to be prepared for anything as strenuous as winding yarn. It needs time to stretch its gears and size up the skein before it begins winding.

Me: I need to wind this yarn

Ball Winder: I'm sorry, I must have misheard you. You need to wind this yarn tomorrow?

Me: No, I need to get going on this swatch so I need to wind this yarn now.

Ball Winder: But you already have a garment on the needles that you swore you'd be monogamous to. Clearly this is you just falling back on your promises. You do not need to swatch. You do not need to wind this yarn.

Me: Who is the knitter around here? Designer needs this test knit and I'd like to have it done before June so I need to get swatching. Please.

Ball Winder:Sighs dramatically Fiiiiiine. But you'd better remember this next time I say I don't believe you can be a monogamous knitter.

Me: Just wind, will you?

Ball Winder:Sulks its way to the swift and starts winding. Immediately begins clicking. Oh, I don't think I can do this, my gears are clicking. Didn't I tell you I need to warm up or my gears will click?

Me:Grits teeth and tries to ignore the whining

Ball Winder:Continues clicking and finally separates. See! I told you this wouldn't work.

Me: Seriously? You did that on purposes.

Ball Winder: I did not! You take that back!

Me: You are getting to be too much of a hassle. I think it's time you finally retired. Picks up pieces and looks at them.

Ball Winder: No! I can do that. Sucks in breath while I put it back together and begin winding again. See? We're winding. We're almost done!

Me: Looking unconvinced. Ok. We'll see.

Ball Winder: Aaaand we're done! Whew! I'm tired. This is why you have to let me warm up to these things. Put me back on my shelf!

It goes like this. Every time I go to start a new skein. But somehow my little ball winder keeps working, denying me the ability to buy a new one. It's manipulative like that.

This post is a part of the fifth annual Knit and Crochet Blog Week hosted by Eskimimi Makes. To see more posts from fiber lovers around the world, just Google this tag: 5KCBWDay4This will also be my last post for the week -- I'm off to Into the Wool in the early morning and will be having far too much yarnie fun to write. Thanks to everyone who took part and to Mimi for coordinating once again. It's been fun!